Firelight
by ODSTrules
Summary: Matthew can't help but love a certain bestial beauty. But will she return his feelings? This is for Lizzie, even though it didn't work out.


MATTHEW

Matthew rolled out of his hammock and hit the ground with a thud. He groaned as he rolled over and got off the deck of the hold. He was beginning to regret taking Sveta's place in the hold, but only a little. Anything to make her more comfortable. As he pulled some clothes out from the dresser he had moved down there, Tyrell poked his head in.

"Bro, grab some pants! Kraden has an announcement!" he said. Matthew nodded.

"I'll be right there." As Tyrell left, Matthew pulled his clothes on, then slipped the amulet his father gave him onto his neck. His father had told him,

"Son, this is an ancient family heirloom passed down to the first male child of our family. This is what we call the Amulet of Affection. Wear it, and the woman you love will eventually love you back." Matthew had been so excited. After a time though, it seemed he would never find a woman to love. Karis was like a sister, so she was off limits. And though he met many beautiful women along the road, it never got farther than a drink or a dance. That is, until he met Sveta. She was different than the others. Slowly, he realized she was the most wonderful person he had met in all of Angara.

'If only that amulet worked faster. I'm nowhere with her!' He thought as he trudged up the steps, onto the bright deck. The others were already standing in a semicircle, facing Kraden.

"Ahhh, Matthew good to see you!" Kraden said brightly. "Now that you're here, we can begin. I have some good news. Eoleo here has told me that the citizens of Champa have a settlement that they can relocate to in an emergency. We are going there to receive enhancements to the ship to help us sail faster. Better yet, there is a good wind going south that will propel us on our way!" With that he returned to his quarters, and the rest of them dispersed. Eoleo motioned for Matthew to follow him. Matthew followed him up to where Eoleo was steering the ship with a large wheel.

"What is it?" Matthew asked. Eoleo smirked and pointed down the deck to Sveta.

"So what are you going to do about her, eh? I've been watching from the back of this boat, and by my reckoning, you are hopelessly in love. So come on. We need to bond. We'll be saving the world together, so, we have to trust each other." Matthew sighed.

"Fine," he said, "Yes I am in love with Sveta. No I am not hopelessly in love with her." Eoleo laughed aloud at that, and then asked,

"What's her favorite color?"

"Seawater blue."

"What does her hair smell like when you guys are close to each other?"

"What kind of question is that?"

Eoleo glared at Matthew. "Answer it."

"Kind of like honeysuckle."

"Does she talk when she sleeps?"

"This is creepy Eoleo."

"MATTHEW!"

"Yes...sometimes."

Eoleo smiled and leaned onto the wheel.

"Not hopelessly in love my arse."

SVETA

Sveta watched Matthew's back as he climbed the stairs after Eoleo. Karis saw her watching and ran up to her.

"So girlfriend? Anything happen yet?" Sveta blushed as she turned away and looked over the edge of the boat.

"No. Nothing is going to happen between us two. We're friends." Sveta said firmly.

"Look Sveta. That guy is a stud. I have lived with him forever. He is a gentleman who can bench a hundred and seventy pounds, is a total babe, oh and the small fact he's one of the only single guys in the middle of the ocean." Sveta pushed off the side and walked to her room. She went into it and closed the door. She had no idea what to do. She didn't want to have to listen to Karis rant about how she and Matthew should go out.

'Of course I get stuck on a ship with the one person in Angara that I even fathom loving.' She put her head in her hands. She had been so busy helping her brother all these years, she forgot to take time for herself. Suitors were turned down until whispers floated throughout Belinsk that she was actually a lesbian, that she was married to her brother, that she was a virgin priestess. She ignored them, and continued going about her duties. She could not fall in love-she was married to work. Until them. Those adventurers that she met in the caves. She remembered it like yesterday. She had taken an instant liking to Karis, and was immediately annoyed by Tyrell. Rief had been nice, but the other one, Matthew, he had captured her attention. She had used her Spirit Sense on him as she led them on, and was shocked to find he was as transfixed as Sveta was.

"We are friends, we are friends, we are friends, WE ARE FRIENDS!" she yelled. A sudden gust of wind blew through the room violently, jostling the furniture. A knock came at her door.

"Sveta, is everything alright?" Karis asked. Sveta sunk to the floor.

"Yeah. I'm all good there." Karis paused, but Sveta heard her foot steps going down to her and Tyrell's cabin. Things would not be okay as long as he loved her.

MATTHEW

"So do you know if she feels the same way?" Eoleo asked. Matthew shrugged, then said,

"Honestly, I have no clue. She sometimes gives me signals that say yes, but then she also acts like it's a no. She is truly an enigma." Eoleo whistled.

"You are in some deeeeeeeeep crap my friend. That is never a good thing. I had that happen to me once. I totally misread the situation and she cut me here." He pointed to his heart. Matthew gaped.

"You mean some girl actually broke the heart of tough old Eoleo?!"

"Of course not!" He lifted his shirt to show a two inch scar below his heart. "She actually stabbed me with a dagger. Turns out she was after me dad's money and figured the best way would be through me. I found out, she stabbed me, then went to jail." Matthew sat there stunned.

"You make my misery sound like nothing." Eoleo shook his head.

"You're pain is much worse than mine. Stabs heal, but the other kind of cut, that is harder to do so. Look, if you don't make a move on her soon, she'll be gone." Matthew mulled that conversation over as he lay in his hammock that night.

'Maybe Eoleo is right. I just need to do something.' He immediately dismissed the thought. She seemed too on the fence about him for something like that to work. He picked the amulet up and rubbed the bronze medallion. It had a ruby in the center and it was held in bronze shaped into two hands held together.

'So all I've got it an amulet, a pirate's advice, and a whole lot of mixed signals. Looks like somebody won the lottery.' He gingerly got out of his hammock and pulling some clothes on, went onto the deck. He sat there in silence, the ocean spraying as they moved with the southern wind. He heard a creaking coming from behind him. When he turned, to his surprise it was Sveta.

"Couldn't sleep either?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I learned how to get by without much. Ever wondered where that coffee was coming from?" whenever the crew woke up, there was always coffee prepared. It was perfectly brewed every time, and they had a pool as to who was the mystery brewer.

"So that was you Sveta? How don't you wake anyone up?" Matthew said. She shrugged.

"It's not hard. Especially when you are part wolf." Sveta said. Matthew nodded. As they stood there, Matthew felt the distance between them more than ever before. "Kraden say's we'll make port at one of the island villages soon." Sveta said. "It'll be nice to sleep in an actual bed, not a giant wooden crib." Matthew laughed.

"Indeed. But don't let Eoleo hear you say that. He'll have you walk the plank faster than you can say parlay." Sveta smiled, and Matthew felt his stomach turn inside out.

"I'm going go get some coffee started. You should get some sleep Matthew." Sveta said turning to leave.

"I will Sveta. Goodnight." He brushed past her and went back to the hold, feeling more confused than ever.

SVETA

Sevat poured herself a cup of coffee.

'What are you doing?' she thought. 'You say you want to be friends, but you really don't, he is in love with you, why not go for it? But if it goes wrong, you can't afford to distract each other from the quest!' Karis walked in.

"What are you doing awake Karis?" Sveta asked. Karis looked at her.

"Saying this for your own damn good. I know you love Matthew but don't want to take the risks. It's stupid. You can't be in love and hold them off at the same time. You will drive them away, and ruin whatever chance you had. So make up your mind. Do you stay friends or become more, and then you have to tell him." Karis turned and left. Sveta sat down, and thought.

'She's right. I need to choose.' She groaned. 'Why does this have to be so hard? He is an awesome guy, but I don't want to endanger his feelings!' Sveta closed her eyes and leaned back. 'I'll decide once we're in port.'

THREE DAYS LATER…

"We're here!" Eoleo shouted. They had arrived at one of Captain Brigg's hiding coves. There was a small village there, with a population of about 20 who maintained the smuggler's hidey hole. The grateful Adepts stepped off the boat and onto the sand. Eoleo went over to the villagers and relayed the news of Briggs and the mainland. Kraden began to observe several crabs fighting. Sveta took a deep breath and smelled the salty air. She looked at Karis who raised her eyebrows questioningly. Sveta nodded. Karis uttered a small shriek of excitement and jumped up and down.

"What just happened?" Tyrell asked her. Karis just smiled and said,

"Oh nothing sweetie."

MATTHEW

Matthew stepped off the ship. As he walked, he heard Karis shriek, but payed no mind to it. He walked across the small island towards the inn. Sometimes, the best way to clear the mind was a nap in a bed that wasn't floating. He walked in he door and up to the innkeeper.

"Can I get a room?" He asked. The innkeeper nodded.

"It's 30 gold a night." the man said. Matthew handed over the gold and walked up the stairs to the room. Flopping onto the bed, he drifted off, and dreamed of honeysuckle.

He was rudely awakened by a banging on the door.

"Yo! Matthew! Come on man!. We're all meeting at the ship for a big dinner. There's gonna be music and real meat!" Tyrell yelled, hammering on the door. Matthew got up and walked out.

"Let's go man." Matthew said. The two walked down the stairs and outside to where a large boar was being roasted over a bonfire. Some of the natives had instruments and were playing a lively dance tune. Karis darted out of the crowd of dancers and dragged Tyrell into the frenzy. Matthew stood next to Eoleo who leaned in and said,

"Just so you know, I've told the musicians to wait for my signal to play a song great for certain things, like dancing with people you care about." Matthew rolled his eyes as a redheaded maid pulled Eoleo into the dance. Matthew stood, looking into the flames, when something curious happened. The music suddenly stopped and then struck up again, with a much slower, almost somber pace. Eoleo caught Matthew's eye and jerked his head over to where Sveta stood watching the dancers. He felt the amulet under his shirt.

'No thinking, just do it.' Matthew thought and strode towards Sveta.

SVETA

Sveta stood, watching the slow dance, and feeling rather lonely. She looked over at Karis who was gesturing excitedly to the other side of the fire. Matthew was walking towards her. Her breath seemed to catch in her throat as he walked. He finally reached her.

"Hello Sveta," he said "Would you like to dance with me?" She froze, and the world seemed to freeze with her. She looked down at his outstretched hand and said,

"I would love nothing more." He smiled and led her into the crowd. They swayed for an eternity, feeling nothing but the warmth of each other, and the glow of the firelight.


End file.
